Will the Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 2.8GHz work in INSPIRON 1720

Just wondering, I want to upgrade my processor. Thanks. If not whats the fastest proccessor I can upgrade to?

 

No. The Inspiron 1720 uses a Santa Rosa GM965 chipset, and therefore not able to support any processors with 1066Mhz FSB.

The Inspiron 1720 can support up to the 2.8GHz X9000 processor. However, the 2.5GHz T9300 or the 2.6GHz T9500 processors are a better buy.

 

What about them makes them better? Also what kind of RAM can I upgrade to with this proccessor (T9300) Is the upgrade as simple as replacing the chip or is there something else involved? Thanks for the quick response

 

Well I wouldn't say "better" but recommend processors. Clock speed isn't everything though, it depends on what kind of applications that you're doing that the X9000 2.8GHz can outperform a T9500 2.6GHz processor for example. Generally the performance difference isn't much. For most people the 2.5GHz T9300 is a better buy because it has a great clock-for-clock speed and cost alot less than the X9000 and the T9500 - and runs very cool especially in the 1720s where cooling is much acclaimed for.

The 200MHz(T9500) - 300MHz(T9300) incement in each processor respectively, against the 2.8GHz X9000 does proves very little performance gain if compared.

Besides, the X9000 is for OC'ing (Overclocking) purposes, like my M1730, the X9000 chip can be OC'ed to 3.4GHz. You can't do that in the 1720 as the BIOS does not support OCing.

Do you mean system RAM? Well, the Inspiron 1720 can take up to 6GB RAM max. (see my sig) and it does work well with it. But unless if you're doing alot of photoshopping and running alot Virtual OSes (VMware) stuff, 3-4GB is sufficient for everyday general usage.

Well its easy. The disassembling instructions are up on the Dell website. Though it may look difficult on paper, but when tried, its quite easy to access the processor if you follow the instructions carefully and not miss a step. I got pictures of the insides if you need any. It'll be plus if you're a hands-on person.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1720/en/sm/cpu.htm#wp1179976

 

Thanks for the help. I think what I meant by RAM speed is would I see any benefit with this proccessor by going with 4gb ddr2 800, vesus 4gb ddr2 667? I'm good at taking them apart and such, but when it comes to the numbers and compatability I'm lacking. Also what is the differance between Vist 32 bit vs. 64 bit? Is there any reason to go to 64? The reason I'm trying to upgrade is because I use my laptop for everything from games like crysis and COD4 to homework, to watching movies and photos and such. Thanks for the help. Also where do you get 6gb of ram? the most I can find is the 4gb (2X2Gb). Thanks

 

Vista 32 will only recognize 3GB of RAM. 64 recognizes 4 and can go up to 8GB.

 

Hmm, I have Vista 32 SP1 Home Premium and it seems to recognize 4gb. In my Welcome Center it gives the 4.00 GB RAM in the details. Was this due to an upgrade?

 

Oh no, no. Once again, the Inspiron 1720's chipset is the Santa Rosa GM965, and only capable of handling up to DDR2-667. Adding a DDR2-800 RAM will have it downclocked to 667Mhz effective. And besides, the gain from 667Mhz effective to 800Mhz effective, its performance gain is not noticeable and very very mild increase. It's also a proven fact. Search around the forums - I even tried it myself.

For your needs, 3-4GB is enough. Games don't really require much RAM as photoshopping and other workstation applications do, movies, photos and etc. These types of uses are generally considered the everyday-user and don't require much hardware. You can try overclocking your 8600M GT (if you're using that GPU) to get smoother game play. COD 4, Crysis and other FPS games require the raw performance of the graphics card more than anything else.

6GB RAM? Well I got it from newegg. The 1720 has two slots, so it has a 1x4GB and a 1x2GB stick, totaling 6GB.

To use more than 4GB or more, you need an x64 OS. It shows up as 4GB but your 32 bit OS is not able to use all 4GB. To confirm this, CTRL + SHIFT + ESC to access your Task Manager and look under the performance tab. The amount of RAM usable will be shown below the graphs. It should be around 3200-3500MB fluctuating if you have 4GB installed.

 

Ahh, got it. Sounds good. Yea mine shows 3581mb. Thanks again for the info. What is better about going to Vista 64? What would require that I do that? I'm not sure that I would need it. I guess what it boils down to is I want to have a really fast computer (bragging rights) that can do anything i want it to or will do in the future. I also want one that isn't going to be obsolete so soon. Thanks again

 

Well going to x64... It's great. The main thing about why people (Like myself especially) opted for 64 bit OSes is to take advantage of the x64 architecture to use more than 4GB of RAM. Thanks to WOW64 (Windows on Windows 64) All your other 32 bit software still works and will be installed in your Program Files (x86) folder. All 32 bit apps running at the background will be marked with an asterisk *.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOW64

If you don't need an x64 OS, it's completely alright. Besides from the way I see your needs, I don't think an x64 and 6GB RAM is a-must-need for your daily usages. 4GB (3581mb in this case) it's good enough.

Obsoleting... Hmm, well for computers, as long as it still can serve you, it isn't obsolete. This is rather based on personal opinion and... However, if you still think otherwise, upgrade it like my specs or get a new notebook - Like how I got an M1730.